The Paul Skenes debut card was found, but the the finder is turning down a big offer from the Pirates and Livvy Du
A lucky 11-year-old found the only [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] debut rookie card featuring a jersey patch and a Skenes autograph. He’ll be putting the card up for option, declining an offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates that included season tickets for 30 years behind home plate, a meet and greet with Paul Skenes, and two signed jerseys.
Along with the Pirates’ offer, Skenes’ girlfriend and LSU gymnast [autotag]Olivia Dunne[/autotag] offered to take in a Pirates game in her suite.
Topps shared a journal entry written by the finder. He called finding the card “a dream come true.”
The proceeds from the sale will be donated to Los Angeles fire relief funds.
Skenes made his MLB debut last spring, less than a year after being drafted. In 133 innings, Skenes posted a 1.96 ERA with 170 strikeouts. He won NL Rookie of the Year while finishing third in NL Cy Young voting. He finished No. 19 in the MVP race.
See the eight LSU freshman ranked among the nation’s top 75 by Perfect Game
Preseason honors continue rolling in for LSU baseball. This time, members of its freshmen class are being recognized.
Eight Tigers apart of the 2025 cycle were ranked in the Top 75 freshmen by Perfect Game. Derek Curiel and William Schmidt led the way at No. 1 and 4, respectively.
Cade Arrambide (No. 15) and Casino Evans (No. 26) landed in the top 30, followed by Ryan Costello (No. 32) and Maverick Rizy (No. 36). Cooper Williams (No. 67) and Mikey Ryan (No. 69) rounded out the purple and gold’s selections.
LSU leads the nation with eight selections to the list and its 2025 class leads all others according to Perfect Game.
Head coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] reloaded with the highly touted freshmen class as well as one of the best transfer classes in the country. Combined with a multitude of players with SEC experience, the Tigers will look to build upon its second-place finish in the SEC Tournament and its Regional finish in the College World Series.
No. 1: Derek Curiel
Perfect Game named Curiel the best player in the 2025 freshmen class. The outfielder, a two-time member of the 18U USA National team, is from West Covina, CA. In his senior year at Orange Lutheran High School, he batted .314 with 33 hits, including 10 doubles, 21 RBI, and 19 stolen bases.
No. 4: William Schmidt
Schmidt, a Baton Rouge, LA native, pitched at Catholic High School and was rated the No. 16 prospect for the 2024 MLB Draft. In his senior year, en route to winning the state title, Schmidt posted a 9-0 record along with a 0.44 ERA and 102 strikeouts through 63.2 innings.
No. 15: Cade Arrambide
Arrambide was rated the No. 1 high school catcher by MLB.com and named the 2024 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year. In his final year at Tomball High School in Texas, he posed a .430 batting average along with 12 home runs and 35 RBI.
No. 26: Casan Evans
A right-handed pitcher, Evans was ranked the No. 9 player in Texas by Perfect Game. He played high school baseball at St. Pius X in Houston, TX, and was a top 100 prospect for the 2-24 MLB Draft, according to Baseball America.
No. 32: Ryan Costello
Costello played high school baseball at Ranney High School in Howell, NJ. He was ranked the No. 2 first basemen in the country by Perfect Game. In his senior year, Costello batted .562 with 14 homers and 34 RBI.
No. 36: Mavrick Rizy
Perfect Game ranked Rizy as the No. 1 high school prospect in Massachusetts. The right-handed pitcher, a product of Worcester Academy in Diskdale, MA, played in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League and participated in the MLB Draft Scouting Combine.
No. 67: Cooper Williams
A left-handed pitcher, Williams drew the No. 12 ranking from Perfect Game of high school southpaws in the nation. In his senior year at Alvin High School in Texas, he finished with a 1.34 ERA and 152 strikeouts through 99.1 innings.
No. 69: Mikey Ryan
Ryan chose his home state school as a native of Metairie, LA following a First-Team All-State selection in his senior year at Rummel High School. He was the state’s No. 2 prospect and the country’s No. 30 shortstop, according to Perfect Game. Ryan was listed by Baseball America as a top 150 prospect for the 2024 MLB Draft.
Which LSU sports team has the best chance at a national title this year?
LSU sports have won their fair share of national titles in recent years.
In 2019, LSU football won its third national championship since 2000. Only Alabama has more in that span.
2023 was a year to remember.[autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] and Angel Reese led LSU women’s basketball to a title in April. Later that year, Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews led LSU baseball to a College World Series title.
In 2024, another trophy was added to the case. LSU gymnastics won its first national title in program history. Head coach Jay Clark finished the job, building on the foundation built by legendary coach DD Breaux.
It begs the question — Who is next?
Several teams will have a chance to continue the trend, including some of the ones already mentioned. Jay Johnson and LSU baseball are ranked No. 2 in Perfect Game’s preseason poll. Mulkey has a talented group, too.
Let’s take a look at what chance LSU’s major sports have of winning a national title over the next year.
5. LSU Softball
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
LSU softball is perennially in the top 25, but it’s been a while since LSU made a trip to Oklahoma City. Head coach Beth Torina had a good team last year, but LSU fell to Stanford in the Super Regional round.
Another talented group, led by Sydney Berzon, is back in 2025. The SEC is even tougher with the arrival of Texas and Oklahoma, but LSU is capable of playing with the best teams in the sport on a good day.
The trouble is figuring out how to be elite on a consistent level. LSU is far from a title favorite, but crazier things have happened.
4. LSU Football
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Football is the front porch. When you think about LSU, you think about the football team.
Brian Kelly and staff know the pressure is on, hence the Tigers’ aggressiveness in the transfer portal.
Transfer additions along with the return of talented quarterback Garrett Nussmeier have LSU fans excited for 2025. Contending for a national title is on the table.
When opening odds are released, LSU should be among the top group of contenders.
3. LSU Women’s Basketball
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
LSU is learning how to live without Angel Reese in 2025. The Tigers legend is in the WNBA, but LSU still has star power with Flua’jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow.
LSU’s first conference test is at Tennessee on Thursday night. The Tigers are off to a 2-0 start in SEC play, but the Vols are ranked. We’ll learn a lot about where this LSU team stands.
It’s not clear if LSU has the talent to reach the top of the sport again. South Carolina and Texas look strong atop the SEC, but Mulkey is a veteran coach and will get the most from her squad.
LSU remains in the national picture.
2. LSU Gymnastics
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
LSU gymnastics got its 2025 season going last week. The Tigers are looking to defend last year’s national title and have the pieces to do so.
Haleigh Bryant remains day-to-day with an injury, but when healthy, she’s the best gymnast in the country and the top athlete on LSU’s campus.
Fresh off a deep postseason run, this team is battle-tested and doesn’t shy away from the moment. Maturity and talent can be a lethal combination. LSU has it in 2025.
1. LSU Baseball
Jun 3, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Louisiana State Tigers Jared Jones (22), Tommy White (47), Michael Braswell III (10), and Steven Milam (4) wait on the field during a pitching change in the first inning against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the Div. I NCAA baseball regional at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Camarati-USA TODAY Sports
Jay Johnson may be the best recruiter in the country. LSU continues to sign the nation’s top talent — at the high school level and in the transfer portal.
The talent level in Baton Rouge isn’t quite at the level it was in 2023, but we may never see a team that talented in the sport again. This one is pretty good, though. A mix of returnees, portal additions, and blue-chip freshmen have LSU ready to compete for another national title.
The standard at LSU doesn’t change. It’s get to Omaha. Once there, the Tigers expect to win.
LSU baseball is LSU’s best chance at a national title in 2025.
LSU baseball complete 2025 schedule. When do the Tigers begin their 2025 campaign?
College baseball season is upon us and we are less than a month away from the first pitch. With football season in the rearview mirror, excitement is building in Baton Rouge.
Baseball is a huge deal at LSU. The Tigers are one of the few programs that consistently generate packed crowds for baseball games.
LSU reloaded with talent and another postseason run is the expectation. It always is in Baton Rouge.
The Tigers return slugger Jared Jones while signing one of the top transfer portal classes in the country. LSU head coach Jay Johnson has a reputation for being one of the best recruiters in the sport, and he backed it up again this year.
LSU’s season will officially begin on Fri, Feb. 14 in Baton Rouge when the Tigers host Purdue-Fort Wayne. Here’s an entire breakdown of LSU’s complete 2025 schedule.
Two LSU baseball players received preseason honors this week
Preseason recognition continues to roll in for LSU baseball.
Perfect Game named infielder Daniel Dickinson and right-handed pitcher Anthony Eyanson to its preseason All-American list released on Monday.
Dickinson landed on the first team among hitters. He ranked as the No. 2 transfer, according to Baseball America after a standout two seasons at Utah State. The junior infielder hit .369 with 27 home runs, 95 RBI, and a .457 on-base percentage.
Eyanson was named to the second team. The right-handed pitcher played two seasons at UC San Diego before transferring to LSU. Baseball America named him the No. 4 transfer. In 2024, he posted a 6-2 record with. 3.07 ERA through 82 innings. Eyanson held opponents to a .190 batting average and registered 85 strikeouts.
The two transfers contributed to LSU’s No.1 newcomer class in 2025, between transfers and high school signees, and rank inside the top 50 prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft.
Head coach Jay Johnson’s team, two years removed from winning the national championship, also retained key pieces from last season’s regional team. The Tigers will field six pitchers with SEC experience and seven position players who logged starts in 2024.
The Tigers enter the 2025 baseball season with sights on another College World Series
Two years removed from its national championship season, LSU baseball is recognized as one of the top teams in the country.
Perfect Game ranked the Tigers at No. 2 in its preseason top 25 poll. It follows No. 1 Texas A&M and is one of 10 SEC teams represented, the most out of every conference.
Fourth-year head coach Jay Johnson’s team made it to the Chapel Hill Regional in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, falling just short of a super regional.
The Tigers will bring back a bevy of talent but also secured commitments from some of the nation’s top transfers.
“Freshman All-American [autotag]Steven Milan[/autotag] and Freshman All-SEC [autotag]Ashton Larson[/autotag] return for their sophomore year to lead a potent lineup including Jared Jones who returns 28 home runs,” the article said.
Seven players with starting will don the purple and gold once again in addition to six pitchers who saw the field last season.
LSU’s 2025 newcomer class, transfers, and high school signees combined, were ranked No. 1 by Baseball America. The group includes 11 Baseball America Top 500 MLB prospects and nine Top 100 Transfers, including No. 2 infielder Daniel Dickinson.
Chase Shores missed all of 2024 but finished the 2023 season with an 0-1 record and a 1.96 ERA.
Last year, LSU baseball finished the season 43-23 and failed to defend their national championship. Their season ended in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with a loss to the Tar Heels in the Chapel Hill Super Regional.
[autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] recently met with the media to discuss the 2025 version of the Bayou Bengals and what he was excited about as he headed into fall ball. There were many topics on the docket for Johnson, but one of the things he talked about was starting pitching.
Who is a pitcher Johnson is high on heading into the next season? That would be redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher [autotag]Chase Shores[/autotag].
Labeling a player as the best pitcher you have recruited at LSU other than [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] is a head-turning statement. We are talking about a pitcher who was drafted as the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 MLB draft and will likely be the 2024 Rookie of the Year in the MLB.
Giving Shores that kind of praise is interesting, but he has the stuff to be an Ace in the rotation. Shores pitched in seven games in 2023, totaling 18.1 innings and striking out 15 hitters while only walking nine. He finished the year with an 0-1 record and a 1.96 ERA.
I think Shores will make the transition from a bullpen guy to a starter this Spring and I hope he will have a great season in 2025.
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The Tigers could be without one of their top offseason additions for the 2025 season.
The LSU baseball team is still several months from the beginning of the 2025 season, but when the spring rolls around, it could be without one of its top offseason additions.
Transfer pitcher [autotag]Deven Sheerin[/autotag] has suffered a torn ACL, according to coach Jay Johnson. The injury is not new, as Johnson said it occurred during the summer, but it casts doubt on his availability for the 2025 season. Johnson said there currently is not a timetable for his return.
It’s a major loss for an LSU pitching staff that lost quite a few pieces from last season including starters [autotag]Gage Jump[/autotag], [autotag]Luke Holman[/autotag] and [autotag]Thatcher Hurd[/autotag] as well as top bullpen arm [autotag]Griffin Herring[/autotag].
Sheerin, a native of Reading, Pennsylvania, earned MAAC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-MAAC honors as a freshman at Mount St. Mary in 2024. He finished the season with a 4.76 ERA and 6-5 record while striking out 109 batters compared to just 32 walks.
If Sheerin is not able to go by the start of the season, the Tigers will have to lean on other arms in a talented transfer pitcher class that also includes [autotag]Anthony Eyanson[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Mayers[/autotag], [autotag]Chandler Dorsey[/autotag] and [autotag]Zac Cowan[/autotag].
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Paul Skenes tied the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise record for strikeouts by a rookie.
In the 19th start of his rookie season, [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] tied the [autotag]Pittsburgh Pirates[/autotag] franchise record for strikeouts by a rookie. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Skenes struck out Michael Busch of the Chicago Cubs with a change-up to end the fourth inning.
Skenes finished the game with another win after five innings of work. He allowed four hits and zero runs as he struck out six hitters and walked four. The Pirates ultimately won the game 5-0.
Skenes has pitched a total of 114 innings this season and has a 9-2 record with a 2.13 ERA. He has struck out 142 hitters while only walking 30. He was named an All-Star and was the starter for the National League in the All-Star Game.
Skenes flew through the minor leagues after being the No. 1 overall draft pick out of LSU in the last MLB Draft. Skenes is having a great season so far and hopefully, that will continue moving forward.
With his 142nd strikeout this season, Paul Skenes has tied the franchise record for strikeouts by a rookie since 1900. pic.twitter.com/972smhqD9o
Dylan Crews hit his first big-league bomb on Wednesday night as Washington clinched a series win.
After going hitless in the first game of his MLB career, [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] has turned up the heat in the past two games. On Tuesday night, he finished the game 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Wednesday, he finished the game 2-for-4 with a homer, a double, two RBI and two strikeouts. Those stats helped the Nationals pull off a series win against the New York Yankees.
In his first at-bat of the game, Crews faced a 1-0 count from [autotag]Carlos Rodon[/autotag] and he got a 93 MPH inside fastball and DC did not miss it. He sent it on a ride at 399 feet to left field as it landed in the bullpen.
That wasn’t all for Crews in the game as he faced Rodon once again in the fourth inning and he got the best of him again. Again, he got an inside fastball and again he did not miss. Crews hit this one to left-center and it caromed off of the wall for an RBI double.
That increased the Nats lead to 5-1 and Washington would not look back. The Nats won the game 5-2 and DC looks to be fitting in just fine at the major league level.
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DYLAN CREWS